Nonrefillable bottle closure



June 25, 1940. T F KQLTS 2,205,567

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed July 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 25 19 40. KQLTS 2,205,567

NONREFILLA BLE BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed July 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v ffrzzeys Patented June 25, 1940 NON REFILLABLE BOTTLE CLOSURE Tennies F. Kolts, Chicago, 111., assignor, bymesne assignments, to Warren Buckley, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 15, 1938, Serial No. 219,329

Claims.

No. 2,179,511, patented November 14, 1939, on

Nonrefillable bottle closures.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved nonrefillable bottle closure which is tion and efiicient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a nonrefillable closure for bottles and analogous containers for preventing the fraudulent refilling of bottles, especially liquor bottles, by the methods now in use for effecting such fraudulent refilling and which methods include exhausting the contents of the bottle by means of a vacuum pump and then submerging the exhausted bottle in the liquor with which it is desired to refill the bottle, whereupon, by reason of the vacuum, or partial vacuum, in the bottle the latter will be rapidly refilled with the liquor, thus accomplishing the fraudulent object such as substitution of an inferior quality of liquor or avoiding the payment of internal revenue tax on the same.

It is an important object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved nonrefillable container closure which is especially adapted for use on liquor bottles and the like for preventing fraudulent refilling of the same for the purpose of evading the internal revenue tax thereon or for other fraudulent purposes, such as the substitution of an inferior quality of liquor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle closure which is nonrefillable by any of the known methods of fraudulently refilling liquor bottles such as the vacuum-submergence method and partial submergence by hand which may be resorted to in an attempt to refill a bottle by partially submerging the same in the liquor or other liquid so as to leave the mouth of the closure partially open for the escape of air from the body of the bottle.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved nonrefillable bottle closure which is so constructed that it will enable liquid to be poured from the bottle 50 to which it is attached as soon as the bottle is placed or held in horizontal position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved nonrefillable bottle closure which embodies a ball-actuated valve and a retaining cage for the said ball which is so conrelatively simple and inexpensive in construcstructed that regardless of how slight the angle,.

at which the neck of the bottle is tilted above the horizontal, may be theball will act on thevalve to close the same as long as the neck of the bottle is inclined very slightly toward the body of the bottle; that is, even though the bottle is held in such a manner that the neck of the same is inclined at only a very slight angle upwardly from the horizontal (and inclined downwardly toward the body of the bottle), the ball will nevertheless operate on the valve to close the same and thus prevent the bottle from being fraudulently refilled by partially submerging the same by hand or otherwise in a body of liquor or other liquid.

A further object of the invention is to construct the new nonrefillable bottle closure in such a manner that when the same is in position of use upon the neck of a bottle the latter may be held in such a position that if the neck of the bottle is tilted at only a very slight angle above the horizontal (and inclined downwardly toward the body of the bottle), the bottle may then be rotated through a complete revolution or 360 and the ball will at all times operate on the valve to close the same and thus prevent fraudulent refilling of the bottle by holding the same partially submerged at any point throughout the said revolution or 360.

It may be observed, in this connection, that research and investigation have disclosed'that in order to refill conventional bottles by submerging the same in a liquid the bottle must be tilted in such a manner that the main axis and center line of the neck of the bottle are at least 12 from the horizontal, that is, downwardly.

toward the body of the bottle.

A further object is to provide a nonrefillable bottle closure constructed in such a manner that when a bottle on which it is mounted is submerged and rotated about its longitudinal axis, the-valve actuating ball will operate to close the valve at any point in such revolution or at any position of said axis at which filling of the bottle would normally tend to take place.

Another object is to provide a no-nrefillable bottle closure of this character wherein the valve housing and valve are coaxial with the bottle neck while the ball cage is arranged on a main axis parallel to but ofiset laterally from the axis of the valve housing.

Another object is to provide a new and improved nonrefillable bottle closure which is compact in structure and which is of simplified construction so far as the tools and operations of manufacture are concerned.

Another object is to provide a new and improved nonrefillable bottle wherein the pouring closure is secured on the bottle by means which facilitates detection of efforts to tamper with or remove said closure.

Another object is to construct the closure casing in a simplified and improved manner which prevents dribbling of the liquid in a normally performed pouring operation.

Another object is to provide such an improved closure casing wherein the sensitivity of the valve control mechanism is so graduated as to varying rotative positions of the bottle as tolead an ordinary user to pour from the side of the outlet opening which is formed for nondribbling flow of the liquid.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a bottle equipped with the new nonrefillable closure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the nonrefillable closure with the outer closure plug removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 and showing the closure in its fixed operative position on the upper end portion of the bottle neck;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental portion of Fig. 3 showing the form of the securing means prior to the final attachment of the closure to the bottle neck;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of the ball cage; and,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the closure casing taken in the same plane as Fig. 3 and showing the internal form of the casing.

In the preferred form chosen for disclosure herein the invention is embodied in a nonrefillable bottle closure indicated generally at H which closure is illustrated in Fig. l in its attached or operative relation on the neck H of a bottle [2 of conventional form. The closure ID, as herein shown, has most of its elements formed from plastic moldable material and comprises an outer closure casing l3 which is secured upon the bottle neck II by means of a tamper-proof coupling ring Hi. When thus mounted the closure casing l3 houses and protects a valve housing IS, a valve member I6, which may be either of the buoyant or the nonbuoyant type, but is preferably of the buoyant type, and a valve operating weight in the form of a ball I! guided and protected by a ball cage l8.

The closure casing I3 is in accordance with the present invention, formed to provide an 'annular base flange 20 of an outer diameter which is the same or slightly less than the outer diameter of the bottle neck I I, and the attaching ring 14 encircles a part of the flange 2D and is permanently secured thereto in the moulding of the casing by means of an internal flange 2| at the upper edge of the ring I4. The attaching ring I4 is preferably made from a frangible material such as aluminum which tears or breaks readily, thereby to prevent removal and replacement of the closure; and the attachment of the ring to the bottle neck II is effected by spinning its lower edge from the form shown in Fig. 4 to the concave form as shown at 22 in Fig. 3, so as to interlock it with an annular groove 23 formed in the bottle neck. When the thin metal ring I4 is thus deformed the metal is in effect tempered so as to be more readily frangible, thereby to aid in detection of tampering. According to the present invention this tendency of the ring [4 to crack or break, when an effort is made to remove the closure, is magnified through the provision of a resilient washer 24 between the mounting flange 20 and the top of the bottle neck I l this resilient washer 24 being held under substantial compression during the spinning of the ring l4 into the groove 23. Thus the expansive action of the washer 24 exerts an endwise force on the closure casing l3 and the ring M which tends to magnify and accelerate cracking of the ring I 4 when an efiort is made to remove the interlocked portion 22 from the groove 23.

In pouring from the bottle l2, the liquid is discharged from the closure casing l3 through an outlet opening 25 which has generally cylindrical side walls and is adapted to receive a removable closure plug 26, the liquid being admitted to the casing 13 through an inlet or valve opening 21 formed in the bottom of the valve casing l5 and controlled by the valve l6. As herein shown the outlet opening 25 is positioned with its axis parallel to the axis 28 of the bottle neck, whereby to facilitate moulding of the casing 13. Moreover, the outlet opening 25 is located eccentrically with respect to said axis 28 of the bottle neck so that pouring may be accomplished with a minimum tilting of the bottle.

The outlet opening 25 is, in accordance with the present invention, constructed to avoid dripping or dribbling of the contents as it is poured, and to this end the upper edge of the opening 25 at the point most remote from the axis 28 is sloped outwardly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 8 to form a sharp cut-off edge 30.

The valve housing I5 is of a generally cylindrical, cup-shaped form, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, with an annular outwardly projecting flange 3| adjacent to but spaced downwardly from its open upper end. The flange 3| serves to locate the valve housing I5 coaxially with respect to the bottle neck axis 28, the flange 3| having a snug fit within the lower end of the closure casing 13 and being pressed downwardly against the inner portion of the washer 24 by abutments 32 which are formed by the ends of a plurality of positioning ribs 33 which are formed on the inner surface of the casing l3. In its present form, the valve housing l5 has its inlet opening 21 interiorly bordered by an upstanding flange 34 which forms a valve seat for the valve IE.

The valve I6 is preferably but not necessarily of the buoyant type and is of a downwardly tapered form, as shown in Fig. 3, and is hollow or recessed as at 35 to reduce its weight, the continuous lower edge of the valve being arranged to register with and engage the valve seat 34. The light weight of the valve I 6 is of importance in preventing fraudulent refilling of the bottle by the vacuum-submergence method. Such engagement is assured by a plurality of tapered longitudinal ribs 36 formed internally of the side walls of the valve housing I5. Thus the axis of the valve I6 is normally coincident with the axis 28 of the bottle neck.

The ball cage [8, which is best illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 7, is positioned in a fixed location over the valve housing and valve so that the ball I! acts on or against the valve Hi to close the same whenever the bottle is held in a filling position, as distinguished from a pouring position; and the ball cage is so formed as to shield the ball I! and the valve l6 from tampering which might be attempted through the opening 25. In accordance with the present invention the ball cage I8 is formed to obtain a delicately responsive valve closing operation as the bottle and its closure are shifted from a pouring posi-' tion to what would normally constitute a filling position.

Thus, as illustrated in Figs, 3, 5, and '7, the ball cage I8 is moulded in an inverted, generally cup shaped form to provide a cylindrical wall 31 bordering its open lower end, a plurality of legs 38 projecting from the lower edge of the wall 31 so as to rest upon the upper face of the flange 3!, thereby to support the ball cage I8 in an elevated position against a plurality of stop shoulders 39 formed on the ribs 33. These shoulders 39 engage an annular shoulder formed by the upper end of the cylindrical wall 31. When thus positioned the lower edge of the wall 31 is spaced upwardly from the upstanding ledge 4| formed by that portion of thevalve housing l5 which projects above the flange 3|, so that liquid may pour from the valve housing between the ledge 4| and the lower edge of the wall 31, andthence through the casing l3 to the outlet opening 25.

While the ball cage 18 is laterally positioned by engagement of theouter face of its wall 31 with the positioning ribs 33, the legs 38 are preferably arranged to fit snugly against the outer face of theledge 41, this construction being employed to facilitate assembly of the parts.

Above the side wall 31, the ball cage i8 is shaped with its inner surface 42 generally in the form of a truncated cone 43 (Figs. 3, 5 and '7), closed at its upper end by top wall 44. The present invention, of course, contemplates a differential in the closing action of the ball I! on the valve H5 in various rotative and tilted positions of the bottle, and to this end the cone 43 is arranged so that its axis 45 is parallel to but offset laterally from the main axis 28 of the bottle neck H as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

The ball cage It, in order to give this desired differential closing action upon the valve, is 10- cated in a predetermined rotative relation to the closure casing l3 by means of a pair of external lugs 46 formed on the cage 18 so as to embrace one of the positioning ribs 33. When thus positioned the axis 45 of the truncated cone 43 is located laterally of the main bottle neck axis 28 in the direction of the outlet opening 25; and beyond said axis 45 the cage I8 is formed with an internal wall or surface 41 which intersects the conical surface 43 and is parallel to the main axis 28 of the valve and perpendicular to a plane passing through and at right angles to the axes 28 and 45 and the central axis of the outlet opening 25.

With the surface 41 thus arranged the bottle l2 may be tipped in a counter-clockwise direc tion (Figs. 1 and 3) and when it has reached a position wherein the surface 41 and the bottle neck axis 28 are horizontal, the weight of the ball I! will rest entirely upon the flat horizontal surface 41. Thus the action of the fluid in the bottle may act through the valve to roll the ball [1 against the wall 44, thereby serving to open the valve l6 so as to initiate pouring while the bottle is in a horizontal position. The sizes of the inlet 2'! and the outlet 25, and their lateral relation with respect to theaxis 28 are such that when the bottle is thus positioned the uppermost portion of the outlet 25 is located belowthe lowermost portion of theopening 21, with the result thatan empty-bottle cannot be filled by submersion in this position. If the bottle neck is tipped upwardly from this horizontal position the ball I! will of course roll back along the flat surface 41 against the flat adjacent (or normal upper) face 48 of the valve l6 so as to close the valve.

positioned, is rotated about its axis 28, the ball ll will, after but a slight degree of rotation of the bottle, run laterally off the fiat surface .41 and onto the conical surface 43, thus operating to close the valve [6.

It will also be evident that if the bottle is tipped so that its right hand side (as shown in Fig. 3) is lowermost, any positioning of the bottle which might be termed an attempted fraudulent refilling position will locate the then lower portion of'the surface 43 so that it slopes toward the valve 16. Hence the valve I6 will be closed in any attempted fraudulent refilling position of the bottle, whereby to prevent fraudulent refilling of the bottle. by ordinary methods of submersion while the sensitivity of the present valve means cannot profitably be effected.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention it is to. be understood that, these are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A nonrefillable bottle closure comprising, a closure casing adapted to be mounted upon the neck of a bottle and having an outlet opening,

a valve housing in said casing having a liquidconducting passage therethrough for conducting liquid from said bottle neck to said outlet open- Similarly if the bottle while thus horizontally ing of the closure casing, a valve in said valve housing, aball normally urging said valve into position to close said liquid-conducting passage,

a ball-retaining cage within said closurecasing,

said cage having its internal surfaces shaped in the form of a truncated cone located with its axis substantially parallel to but offset laterally from the main or longitudinal axis of the bottle neck when the closure casing is mounted thereon, and the main or longitudinal axis of the valve and valve housing being coincidental with the longitudinal axis of thebottle neck, said ball retaining cage including a side wall intersecting with the conical internal surfaces thereof and lying in a plane parallel to but offset from the axis of said valve housing beyond the axis of said cage and which plane is perpendicular to a plane passing through and at substantially a right angle to the axes of said valve casing and said cage.

2. A nonrefillable bottle closure comprising a closure casing adapted to be mounted upon the neck of a bottle and having an outlet opening, a valve housing in said casing having a liquid conducting passage through which liquid from said bottle neck may flow to said outlet opening, a valve in said housing for closing said passage, a ball normally urging said valve into closed position, and a ball cage in said casing having internal guiding surfaces for said ball including a curved guiding surface formed inthe shape of a truncated cone with a fiat internal wall intersecting the curved surface of the cone to provide a flat guiding surface of limited area for said ball.

3. A nonrefillablc bottle closure adapted to be secured upon the neck of a bottle to prevent refilling of said bottle, said closure comprising a closure casing having an inlet opening adapted to communicate with the neck of the bottle and having a passage from said inlet opening terminating in an outlet opening from said casing, valve means for closing said passage, a ball for closing said valve, and a ball cage for guiding said ball, the internal formation of said ball cage being such that when said bottle is rotated through 360 and is maintained throughout said rotation with the uppermost portion of said outlet opening in substantially the same horizontal plane as the lowermost portion of said inlet opening, the ball will exert a substantial gravity-induced closing force on said valve, and in a slight portion of said rotation will rest on aguide surface which is then located in a horizontal plane so as not to exert a closing force on said valve.

l. A nonrefillable bottle closure comprising a closure casing having securing means permanently attached thereto including a readily frangible element for fastening said casing on a bottle neck in a predetermined relation thereto, said casing having an outlet opening arranged to be parallel to but eccentrically related to the axis of a bottle neck upon which the casing is thus positioned, said outlet opening on the side opposite from said axis being formed with an upwardly and outwardly sloping pouring surface terminating in a sharp upper edge operable to act as a cut-off to prevent dripping of the liquid as the bottle is returned from a pouring position to an upright position, a valve housing in said casing having an inlet opening at its lower end and provided with an outlet into said closure casing, a valve in said valve housing, a ball for closing said valve, and a ball retaining cage within said casing formed to shield said ball from tampering through said outlet opening, said cage having its internal surfaces shaped in the form of a truncated cone located with its axis between and substantially parallel to said axis of the bottle neck and the axis of said outlet opening, said ball-retaining cage including a side wall intersecting'with the conical internal surfaces and lying in a plane parallel to but oifset from the axis of said bottle neck and in a plane which is perpendicular to a plane passing through and at a substantially right angle to the axes of the bottle neck and the said cage.

5. A nonrefillable bottle closure comprising a closure casing having means including a readily frangible element for locating and securing said casing on a bottle neck in a predetermined relation thereto and being formed with an outlet opening arranged to be parallel but eccentrically related to the axis of a bottle neck upon which the casing is thus positioned, said outlet opening on the side opposite from said axis being formed with an inwardly and downwardly sloping pouring surface acting as a cut-off to prevent dripping of the liquid as the bottle is returned from a pouring to an upright position, a valve housing in said casing having an inlet opening at its lower end and provided with an outlet into said closure casing, a valve in said valve housing, a ball for closing said valve, and a ball retaining cage within said casing formed to shield said ball from tampering through said outlet opening and formed internally to provide guide surfaces for said ball operable when the bottle is positioned with said axis horizontal to roll said ball against said valve to close said valve in all rotative positions of the bottle about said horizontally positioned axis except when said outlet opening is located substantially beneath said axis.

TENNIES F. KOL'IS. 

